Coronavirus: Turkey sends another 20,000 Sinovac doses to north

Another 20,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived in the north by plane from Turkey on Thursday morning, raising their total amount received to 100,000.

Fifteen per cent of the population will soon be vaccinated, according to ‘Prime Minister’ Ersin Saner.

As for the effectiveness of the Sinovac jab, a Turkish study published on Wednesday suggested an efficacy of 83.5 per cent based on final results from the Phase III trials.

Turkish researchers said that this is a downward revision from a preliminary finding of 91.25 per cent, Reuters reported.

The final efficacy rate was based on 41 infections, 32 of which had received a placebo, said Murat Akova, head of the Phase III trials conducted in Turkey.

The rate is based on participants who presented at least one symptom of Covid-19 along with a positive PCR test at least 14 days after the second dose of the vaccine, Akova said.

He added that the vaccine prevented hospitalisation and severe illness in 100 per cent of cases, saying the six people who were hospitalised were all in the placebo group.

The 100,000 vaccines received so far from Turkey and including the two instalments received from the EU via the bicommunal technical health committee has greatly boosted the north’s efforts to contain the pandemic.

According to reports from the north, the special aircraft with the 20,000 doses arrived at 9:30am.

It was announced on Wednesday by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay that the delivery would take place after the signing of the 2021 economic and fiscal cooperation protocol in Ankara with Saner.